Packet: LP-2025-01, Lake Park Church of Christ @ GLPC 2025-08-25

Update 2025-10-11: According to Lake Park City Clerk Lisa Johnson, at the September 2, 2025, Lake P ark City Council meeting, “The rezoning was denied.”

Here are the board packet materials for the August 25, 2025, meeting of the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) for
agenda item 5., LP-2025-01 Lake Park Church of Christ/Steve Magee, 610, 614, 618 Sheavette Rd., 0221A 063B, ~8007 sq ft
Current Zoning: R-15 (Single Family Residential)
Proposed Zoning: R-10 (Single Family Residential)

This arrived late, and we took even longer to post it, but here it is.

[Collage of LP-2025-01, Lake Park Church of Christ @ GLPC 2025-08-25]
Collage of LP-2025-01, Lake Park Church of Christ @ GLPC 2025-08-25

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval; see the LAKE video. Continue reading →

Videos: Two Lowndes County Cases, Commercial on Stewart Circle, Tower on Rocky Ford Road

The Stewart Circle commercial rezoning sailed through. The communications tower on Rocky Ford Road had three people speaking for it (mostly about need for cell coverage), and several against, for a variety of reasons, as well as a petition against delivered at the meeting. GLPC recommended approval of both.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) recommends. The final decision will be by the Lowndes County Commission on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 5:30 PM.

In Other Business, it was revealed that there will be a presentation about the update to the Comprehensive Plan at the next GLPC WORK session. (Not the Regular Session; the Work Session the week before.)

[Collage @ GLPC 29 September 2025]
Collage @ GLPC 29 September 2025

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Videos: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC Regular 2025-09-23

The two regular business items (opioid litigation and budget policy update) sped to unanimous approval at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session last week.

[Collage @ LCC 23 September 2025]
Collage @ LCC 23 September 2025

Three citizens spoke.

Janice Strickland worried that she was not represented because Commissioner Joyce Evans had been absent for months. See below for Chairman Bill Slaughter’s answer.

India Bell wanted to know if there was any financial assistance. Chairman Bill Slaughter said he would speak to her afterwards about various organizations, but the county itself probably did not have anything to help.

Kelly Saxon was concerned about housing after Hurricane Helene now that temporary housing is ending. There was no direct response.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall reminded everyone that each citizen actually has two Commissioners, because of the superdistricts, one of which he represents. And anyone could also call the Chairman.

Here are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Two Lowndes County Cases, Commercial on Stewart Circle, Tower on Rocky Ford Road @ GLPC 2025-09-29

Update 2025-10-05: Videos: Two Lowndes County Cases, Commercial on Stewart Circle, Tower on Rocky Ford Road @ GLPC 2025-09-29.

It might be a brief meeting Monday, at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

There are only two cases, both for Lowndes County: one for a commercial operation on Stewart Circle, and the other for a communications tower on Rocky Ford Road.

You may need a time machine to see the Lowndes County Commission decide, since the meeting date listed for that is in 2024.

[Collage, GLPC Packet, 2025-09-29]
Collage, GLPC Packet, 2025-09-29

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

Images of each page are below.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~

Monday, September 29, 2025 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia

Continue reading →

Videos: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC Work 2025-09-22

Update 2025-09-29 Videos: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC Regular 2025-09-23.

There were only two main agenda items, but the Lowndes County Commissioners had questions on each of them.

That was in this morning’s Work Session. They vote Tuesday evening at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 22 September 2025]
Collage @ LCC 22 September 2025

Some previous opioid litigation settlement funds have been received, about $600,000. Those are escrowed in an intergovernmental grant fund since the funds are earmarked. They have to be used for treatment, prevention, and abatement of the opioid crisis.

The updates to the county’s Budget and Equity Reserve Policy are partly because of FEMA relief for Hurricane Helene and previous hurricanes, which arrived after the corresponding Fiscal Years ended, and after a 60-day grace period in the previous policy. So they’re extending that grace period for grant funds only.

Last year about $3.9 million came in before the end of November, but after the grace period for FY 2025.

The policy stays as changed, unless the Commission later votes to change it again.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few comments by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC 2025-09-22

Update 2025-09-22: Videos: Opioid Litigation Settlement and Budget and Equity Reserve Policy @ LCC Work 2025-09-22.

This is the lightest agenda in a while for the Lowndes County Commission.

There are long documents attached, but there are only two agenda business items: for another opioid lititgation settlement, and for an update to the county’s Budget and Equity Reserve Policy. That Policy has a whole new section on Revenues and Expenditures/Expenses.

[Opioid Litigation Settlement, Budget and Equity Reserve Policy, Lowndes County Commission, Board Packet 2025-09-22]
Opioid Litigation Settlement, Budget and Equity Reserve Policy, Lowndes County Commission, Board Packet 2025-09-22

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

There are also images of each page below.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: A controversial and an easy rezoning, pet shop ordinance, and Moody AFB water storage tank @ LCC Regular 2025-09-09

They unanimously denied the controversial rezoning, 5.a. REZ-2024-06 Budd Horace Ave, 1735 Madison Hwy, ~3.0ac, CON – C-H. The Lowndes County Commissioners approved the other rezoning, and everythig else, at their Regular Session, Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

In 8. Reports – County Manager, County Attorney Walter Elliott said the county is required by state law to initiate the Service Delivery Strategies (SDS) process. If I heard him correctly, they already did back in April. We already knew the county intends to stick with the current SDS.

[Collage @ LCC 9 September 2025]
Collage @ LCC 9 September 2025

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the Continue reading →

Community Preparedness Townhall 2025-08-26

Valdosta City Council Nick Harden organized an informative meeting that he called a Community Preparedness Townhall, also known as a Disaster Recovery Meeting. Hurricane Helene featured, and also the flash flood last November.

A cavalcade of Valdosta City, Lowndes County, and Georgia state officials spoke, as well as people from private nonprofits.

They attempted to answer all the citizen questions.

[Collage @ Community Preparedness Townhall, 26 August 2025]
Collage @ Community Preparedness Townhall, 26 August 2025

Below are links to LAKE videos of most of the speakers, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Continue reading →

Videos: A controversial and an easy rezoning, pet shop ordinance, and Moody AFB water storage tank @ LCC 2025-09-08

Update 2025-09-12: Videos: A controversial and an easy rezoning, pet shop ordinance, and Moody AFB water storage tank @ LCC Regular 2025-09-09.

The Lowndes County Commissioners were quite chatty at their Work Session yesterday morning, which took more than 35 minutes; very unusual for them. They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

Yesterday, they discussed the controversial rezoning for a suprisingly long time, almost 17 minutes: 5.a. REZ-2024-06 Budd Horace Ave, 1735 Madison Hwy, ~3.0ac, CON – C-H. Nobody seemed to be defending it. The Chairman did suggest maybe tabling it.

The other rezoning breezed by, 5.b. REZ-2025-14 Dinkins, 6533 Lake Alapaha Blvd, 1.0ac, C-C to R-21.

Also they spent more than 12 minutes on 6.a. Pet Shop Ordinance and more than 4 minutes on 7.a. Moody Water Storage Tank Rehab. It’s an underground concrete tank, and apparently those have to be lined these days.

[Collage @ LCC 8 September 2025]
Collage @ LCC 8 September 2025

Below are Continue reading →

Packet: A controversial and an easy rezoning, pet shop ordinance, and Moody AFB water storage tank @ LCC 2025-09-08

Update 2025-09-09: Videos: A controversial and an easy rezoning, pet shop ordinance, and Moody AFB water storage tank @ LCC 2025-09-08.

The rezoning on Horace Avenue next to Mud Swamp Creek that the Planning Commission recommended to deny is on the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission this week.

As is the Lake Alapaha Boulevard rezoning that sailed through the Planning Commission.

Plus a Pet Shop Ordinance, and Moody Water Storage Tank Rehab, for which Moody is reimbursing the county.

[Packet: 1 controversial, 1 easy rezoning, pet shop ordinance, Moody AFB water storage tank @ LCC 2025-09-08]
Packet: 1 controversial, 1 easy rezoning, pet shop ordinance, Moody AFB water storage tank @ LCC 2025-09-08

Here is the agenda.

The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website, with images of each page below.

For the rezonings, see also the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2025, 8:30 A.M.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2025, 5:30 P.M.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →